Food In Many Forms

  I thought I would give an update to baby's first foods, and talk a little bit more about the transition to solids now that some time has passed. There are so many micro-transitions in these first two years and it is shocking where we were even a few months ago.  This graphic is a great example - a year ago I was focused on introducing new foods separately to test for allergens, but now I rarely think about whether our little one has eaten a particular food before. I did think she might have a lentil allergy for a few months, but also I just got caught up in the chaos and didn't really get a chance to test it out again until many months later. As I look at this list, I am happy that I found a balance of offering fresh foods, while still keeping my sanity with the occasional pre-made food. It almost felt like a puzzle trying to piece together how I was going to provide these foods in age appropriate ways. Foods like hummus (chickpea, tahini), pesto (pine nut), and yogurt (milk...

I'm shocked how much shredded zucchini I ended up with this year. Today I finally defrosted my last 2 bricks of frozen shredded zucchini from the summer (shout out to my souper cubes!). I have made 2-3 batches of zucchini muffins thus far, and my constant complaint is that they don't taste like anything. I have tried adding chocolate chips, but I've been looking for something more. Prior to today, I considered both chai spice and snickerdoodle flavors to add to the recipe. This recipe is based on the version from Love & Lemons, which already contained cinnamon, so I thought snickerdoodle would be a good place to start. I also love that this recipe already used 1/3 almond flour, and whole wheat flour in the mix. However, to add a bit more oomphy flavor, I added a cinnamon sugar topping.  Ingredients 1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled 1/2 cup spelt flour, spooned and leveled ½ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour, spooned and leveled 1 tab...

While it's still fresh on my mind, I wanted to put down some of my thoughts on weaning. The oxford dictionary defines weaning as： “[to] accustom (an infant or other young mammal) to food other than its mother's milk.” Weaning starts with the first introduction of solids, and ends with the last nursing session, so it can be a gradual, multi-year process. A lot of women give a negative connotation to weaning, but I would argue it is just one beautiful transition among many. 4-6 months My husband was home with the baby during most of this time, but when we transitioned to daycare, we sent 4 bottles totaling 15 fl oz of breast milk (3.5 fl oz, 3.5 fl oz, 4 fl oz, & 4 fl oz). The first two weeks, she was only drinking 8-12 fl oz at most as she adjusted to her new environment. 6-8 months We only did 1 meal per day for the first 4-5 weeks, so my little one had that one meal with us at home. The daycare asked for more milk, but I told them I couldn't send more than 15 fl oz. Ar...

Yesterday we got our first acorn squash and I drank my first PSL of the season - fall is here! Here in New England, true fall is cold and rainy, so I am embracing fall while it is still sunny, warm, sweater weather. My husband has been bringing sunflowers home every week for us to enjoy, and I know we will miss all the gorgeous flowers once the seasons truly change. Our fridge is overflowing with veggies right now, despite the fact that I have cooked 3 or 4 nights this week, and eaten a ton of leftovers.  Week 13           Week 14       Week 15       Week 16  Week 17  Week 18 s Beets Cabbage Carrots Celery Eggplant Garlic Head lettuce Kale Melons Onions Peppers Potatoes Sweet corn Tomatoes Yellow squash Zucchini PYO beans PYO flowers PYO herbs PYO peppers PYO tomatoes Beets Baby bok choi Cabbage Carrots Celery Eggplant Garlic Head lettuce Kale Melons Onions Peppers Potatoes Salad turnips Summer squash T...

When I worked closer to Mission Hill, one of the best lunch options was a local Mexican restaurant - Chilacates. I loved that you could order 1 tostada and they would sneak an extra tostada shell underneath so you could take your leftover toppings and make a second one!  So when we went tomato picking last week and brought home beautiful sun-ripened tomatillos, I knew I wanted to make a version of Chicken Tinga. I did overlook the fact that Patrick has both a spicy and non-spicy version, but as per usual, what I wanted was somewhere in between. Ingredients 4-5 chicken thighs 2 plum tomatoes 5-6 tomatillos 1/2 onion 4 garlic cloves 3 chipotles in adobo 2 tablespoons adobo sauce 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano dash of cumin (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste) freshly cracked black pepper 8-10 tostadas sliced Jack cheese (approx. 1 cup) lime slices olive oil For the Black Bean Puree: 1 can black beans 1/2 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon adobo sauce 1/2...

Late July is when we really start to feel the abundance of the farm share. We marvel at the beautiful heirloom tomatoes, and our jaws drop at the quantity of zucchini and yellow squash they provide. Wildlfowers are plentiful, and sunflowers are not so carefully rationed as they are at other times of year. We can never seem to eat the beets with enough consistency to get through them, and are constantly enlisting help. Last time we were picking veggies in the fields, I overhead the other members talking about zucchini bread, and I figured I'd give it a try this week.   Week 7           Week 8       Week 9       Week 10  Week 11  Week 12 Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Chard Cucumbers Head lettuce Kale Napa cabbage Onions Radicchio Salad mix Scallions Yellow squash Zucchini PYO flowers PYO herbs Beets Cabbage Carrots Chard Cucumbers Eggplant Head lettuce Kale Napa cabbage Onions Radicchio Salad mix Sc...

I had this memory from previous summers of suffering under the excessive quantity of zucchini and summer squash, so I was surprised when I cooked a simple squash saute and it was AMAZING. This year, to prevent the overwhelm, I found recipes where I could shred and freeze squash in 1 cup portions for zucchini bread or use the blender method. Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa or unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled 1/4 cup canola, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided Instructions Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the eggs, melt...